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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25851805">Road to Recovery</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Birds0fParadise/pseuds/Birds0fParadise'>Birds0fParadise</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cute Kageyama Tobio, Everyone Loves Kageyama Tobio, He just traumatized, Hinata Shouyou is Sunshine, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kageyama Tobio is Bad at Feelings, Kageyama Tobio-centric, Karasuno Family, M/M, Protective Hinata Shouyou, Protective Karasuno Volleyball Club, Protective Tsukishima Kei, Sad Kageyama Tobio, he will get better</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 06:00:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,074</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25851805</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Birds0fParadise/pseuds/Birds0fParadise</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Viktor Byron thought he had a loving family and wonderful friends. That illusion came crashing down when they caused his death. Waking up again as a baby was never the plan.</p>
<p>Or</p>
<p>Someone gets reincarnated as Kageyama Tobio and changes everything.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akaashi Keiji/Kageyama Tobio, Bokuto Koutarou/Kageyama Tobio, Kageyama Tobio/Everyone, Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru, Kageyama Tobio/Ushijima Wakatoshi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>234</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Road to Recovery</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>He lays on the ground in a pool of his own blood beneath him as more gushes out of his various stab wounds on his chest and stomach. All he can do is laugh in despair as tears fall from the corner of his eyes. How did he get to this point?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He was living out his dream of being a pro volleyball player. Albeit new to the team, he was called a genius and praised by everyone around him. His teammates were welcoming with their friendly personalities. It definitely helped that his own brother was on the team. He thought he made friends that were going to last for a lifetime, but that wasn’t the case. He never noticed the hatred and envy that his brother and his friends had in their eyes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They were envious of his skills and how much of a genius he was. However, they never saw all the hard work he put in achieving this dream. They never saw him being reduced to tears from the hard practices he puts himself through. They never saw his injuries; the scrapes and bruises that were scattered along his arms and legs. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His team finished playing a match in the afternoon and they won. Even though he was new, his coach allowed him to play in the match in the second set benching his friend. Although he felt a twinge of guilt at the time, he just wanted to laugh thinking about it now, he knew this was a great opportunity to show off his skills. They won and he was never once benched.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As a celebration for him playing for the first time in an official game, his brother and friends took him out to celebrate. They went and he drank </span>
  <em>
    <span>and drank and drank</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He was not new to drinking, even though he does not do it often because it can cause lasting damage to his body. But as the drinks kept coming, he kept drinking. Not once did he notice that his brother and friends only drank a couple. Only when he was drunk out of his mind and given help to walk straight into an alleyway, that he felt something was off. It was pitch dark with only the moon illuminating the little walk space available. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When he was about to ask what was going on, he felt a sharp pain on his chest. He looked down and a knife was sticking out. He remembers slowly looking up at the hand that was holding the knife and seeing the crazed look in his brother's eyes.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span> His own brother, someone he grew up with and cared and loved, just stabbed him. He remembers his friend, the one who was helping him walk, let go and him just stumbling and falling. He remembers his brother taking out the knife and stabbing him again. He remembers they took turns. He remembers those eyes of his friends looking cold and the satisfaction of stabbing him. He remembers the pain and the feeling of the blood leaving his body and dripping to the ground as he lays on his back.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Worst of all, he remembers those last few sentences his brother said to him, “Why don’t you do us all a favor and die little brother. I have always hated you. You just had to be good at everything and take everything away from me. ”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Viktor stared at the beautiful night sky as he is laying on his back watching the stars shine bright, and the moon looking mystical. His brother and friends are long gone leaving him there to die with the stab wounds they inflicted on his body. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As darkness slowly started to engulf his vision, all that he can think is maybe he deserves death for being stupid for not noticing their hatred which is so clear looking back at his memories. That was his last thought as he lost consciousness.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>—————</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Waking up again was not something Viktor thought was a possibility because he was in an alleyway that was well hidden and he was losing blood at a rapid speed. He thought for sure that he was going to die and would just cease to exist. However, that was not the case because all he can hear is crying.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Loud and obnoxious crying that is making him want to tear his ears off. His eyes are out of focus, though he suppose it’s normal considering he lost a large amount of blood, but he was able to see doctors and nurses. The images he was seeing were not clear which resulted in him just seeing those small things.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Although his hearing was in top condition and he could hear everything clearly, but that atrocious crying was making it difficult for him to understand the doctors speaking. All he could hear was mumbles and choppy sentences which he couldn’t even understand.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“...came out…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Looks healthy...crying”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Losing her… too much blood”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Those were the last things Viktor heard when he lost consciousness once again. Maybe he was in surgery, but he was thankful that someone found him. When he wakes up, he just wants to ask </span>
  <em>
    <span>them</span>
  </em>
  <span> why.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>—————</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He wakes up once again with his vision being blurry and out of focus. He hears that dreadful crying as well and he has to wonder if his ears were damaged during that </span>
  <em>
    <span>incident.</span>
  </em>
  <span> While he ignored the crying, he can tell that he is laying on a bed; wrapped in a blanket. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He feels uncomfortable with how stiff his arms are and how his body is not moving the way he wants it to. He doesn’t think much about it though because he knows his injuries were severe. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Instead of trying to move his body, he instead tried to focus his eyes on images. He manages to  focus his eyes well enough to catch a few glimpses of a room and white walls. This lets him relax a little because he knows he is in the hospital.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>However, Viktor still feels tense because something just doesn’t feel right. Before he can even dwell on it, he falls asleep once again. His body was weak and it had no energy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>—————</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Viktor wakes up again, he feels his body being moved around. Almost like he is being carried, but he knows that is illogical because he is around six feet tall. It would be difficult for someone to carry him with ease.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He opens his eyes, but his vision is still a mess. He has to try hard numerous times to finally be able to focus on a face. An unfamiliar face that he has never seen in his life. It was a man who had black hair and dark blue eyes. His features look mostly western, but there was a touch of eastern to them. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He managed to look to the side, next to the man, and focused on a woman who was also someone he did not recognize. This woman had brown hair and brown eyes and looked eastern. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He slowly felt panic because he did not know these people. He tried to voice out his complaints, but with his failing visions, he could not tell if anyone reacted.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He tried to call for help as he tried to speak, “...ba...gugg.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Viktor was very frightened because what the hell was that noise. Was that him? Was he also stabbed in the neck? He honestly could not tell where the stab wounds were because his whole body was in pain.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>However, were his injuries intense and serious that he lost most of his vision and his ability to speak sentences.</span>
  <em>
    <span> This can not be happening to me </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He started to breathe heavily and started to gasp for air. He was hyperventilating because hadn’t he suffered enough. Why was his ability to speak and see taken away? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Slowly, he started to feel someone moving him calmly and touching his forehead. It felt warm and Viktor could not help, but be lulled to sleep.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>—————</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He woke up in a bed tightly wrapped in blankets again. By this point, Viktor did know how much time passed. The only thing he knows for sure is that he has been sleeping for a couple of days, or maybe longer, and that he is slowly healing. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The first thing he noticed was that his vision healed and now everything was clear. However, as he took in his surroundings, Viktor noted that he has no idea where he is. He is in a room with walls painted a dark green that had black and white accents. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>This was not a hospital room. This was not his room. This was a room he did not recognize.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Viktor started to slightly panic; however deep down, he knew what this meant. He knows, but he refuses to acknowledge the truth. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He could only widen his eyes as he looked at the baby cribbed he was placed in. It seems he was given a second chance. He was a baby, but why?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Why let him keep his memories? Why let him remember </span>
  <em>
    <span>them</span>
  </em>
  <span>? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He gazed at his small hands while thinking that this was a second chance was more of a curse than a gift. And for the first time, feeling overwhelmed with emotions from his death, Viktor could not hold it in. He sobbed and screamed. He wanted to ask him why? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Why would his brother, his hero who he looked up to, kill him? His brother was always there for him. When he scraped his knees, fell off his bike, and was scratched by a cat. He was the only one Viktor ever truly loved because that was his best friend and brother. He was the one who taught him volleyball and the one who always encouraged him. He was always there for him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>So why?</span>
  </em>
  <span> thought Viktor as more tears escaped. Why would he do that to him? </span>
  <b>WHY?</b>
  <span> He loved him. He loved him so much he would have given his life for him, and in a way he did. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And his friends, the ones he thought were going to last for a lifetime and the friendship he valued so much, killed him as well. Viktor let more sobs come out from his mouth as more tears escaped his eyes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>What did he ever do to them? All he ever wanted was some friends who he would be able to laugh with when they’re old and a brother who loved him as much as he did. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As Viktor recalled what his brother said to him, he could not help but scream even more because all he felt was grief.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>They killed him, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought, </span>
  <em>
    <span>because of volleyball.</span>
  </em>
  <span> It was such a foolish and laughable reason that Viktor didn’t know if he should laugh or cry more. He was killed because of jealousy. He was betrayed because of jealousy. He lost his most precious people to jealousy. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He cried even more.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His throat felt sore and it was aching from the screaming and heart wrenching sobs he was letting escape his mouth. He never wants to feel like this again. The feeling of despair at the betrayal and the feeling of grief for losing his life. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Why would they do this to him? Why? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why? </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>Why?</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Viktor knew he would never get an answer which only made him cry even more. He never noticed the door being swung open or the appearance of a young lady coming in. He only noticed when he was lifted from the bed. As he stared at her, he noted that she was the same lady who he saw with the man at the hospital.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>That’s when he realized that he has a new family as well. Of course he would, but deep down he didn’t want a family ever again. And as he stared at his mother, he saw that her eyes were cold as she stared at him. He could see a hint of disgust and anger in them as she gazed at him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He couldn’t help but laugh because of the realization he had about his new “mother”. Obviously he had to be born to a mother who hated him and, from her gaze, never wanted him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>...but that’s okay,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Viktor thought, </span>
  <em>
    <span>because I never wanted you either.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He is okay with this hatred from his mother because he doesn’t need anyone. He now understands that people have fickle hearts and they only love themselves. He only needs himself.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He ignores the sharp pain in his heart because deep down, Viktor wanted comfort from someone. He wanted someone to hold him with warmth and tell him they are going to protect him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>However, Viktor ignored that feeling because he didn’t need anyone. </span>
  <em>
    <span>But,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought</span>
  <em>
    <span>, why won’t the tears stop.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>—————</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He never cried again after the overwhelming grief he felt from processing what happened to him. A year has passed and he somehow managed not killing himself because there are limited things someone can do as a baby. This resulted in Viktor only having time to think which was not good for his mental health.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>No matter what he tried, he could only think about his past life. Everything reminded him of </span>
  <em>
    <span>them</span>
  </em>
  <span> and there were times he wanted to scream. He had a year to come to terms with what happened, which isn’t a long time, and Viktor would like to think that he has come to accept this incident to a certain degree. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He still has nightmares about what happened though. He sometimes wakes up at night, trembling in fear, as he remembered the pain from being stabbed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He doesn’t think he will ever get over what happened to him, but he will also not dwell on it. Viktor doesn’t want to waste his thoughts on them anymore and he doesn’t need anyone anymore.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His parents, if you could even call him that, are never home. He found out that the only reason they had a baby, or him, was because of obligation. His father owned a large and well known law firm which has been passed down for generations. He needed an heir to pass the business to. His mother is a famous surgeon who is out of the country most of the time and is rarely home.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>If Viktor was a normal kid, then he would feel depressed from his parents always being absent in his life. However, he is not and he doesn’t need a family either. He doesn’t love them or hate them. He really doesn’t have any feelings for them and he considers them as strangers who give him a place to stay and food.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Could you really blame him though? He has only seen them a handful of times and both parents are very cold towards him. They don’t even glance at his direction when they are home and ignore him. It's as if he never existed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He is left alone in a huge house that is a two story house which contains over fourteen rooms. It is very modern and it has large windows and a wide window wall facing the backyard. The backyard has a beautiful garden and is very spacious.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The one who takes care of him is a housekeeper his parents hired to keep the house clean and give him food. It’s an elderly woman who has white hair with streaks of brown hair and dark colored eyes. She is very professional and only does her job. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Viktor wouldn’t say she is cold and neglecting towards him, but more like she does her job and that's it. She cleans the house, feeds him, and makes sure that nothing happens to him. She doesn’t play with him or give him any attention.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Viktor doesn’t care though. He doesn’t need anyone and he is fine with being by himself. He realized that he can’t trust anyone and everyone is a liar.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Kageyama-san,” his housekeeper called out to him, breaking him from his thoughts. He turned to stare at her while she  continued, “it’s time for lunch. I made you fried rice and your portion is on the table.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded his head vaguely understanding what she said. When she saw that he understood, she turned around and went to finish the chores. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>One major thing that Viktor noticed is that he was born in a different country. The language was vastly different and he has some trouble understanding and speaking it. Although he has come to grasp the language even though he has no practice with it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In his first life, he was from France where the language is french. Now, he is in Japan where that language is japanese. Both languages are very different and it is difficult for him to grasp some things.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When he does talk, his sentences are choppy and his accent can be heard. He is very lucky that he is only one year old and his development in talking is considered average. This will give him more time to better grasp this language. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He walked towards the kitchen and sat on the chair which wasn’t very high. It seems that his parents bought a table and chair fitting for a one year old. He quickly ate the rice and went back into the living room where he was playing with a volleyball.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His birthday passed by and his parents had the sense of at least giving him birthday presents. He got a volleyball from his mom which is ironic. It seems that she wanted to give him something that will help with his motor skills. However, Viktor thinks it is more for him to waste his energy and sleep early so she won’t see him if she comes home.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His father, on the other hand, gave him some children books. As much as he hates to admit it, those children's books helped Viktor understand the language better. His housekeeper was forced to read them to him which helped him be able to identify the lettering better.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As he was holding the volleyball and throwing it in the air, he couldn’t help but think about something he was trying to avoid. His new name was Kageyama Tobio. It was… weird being called that instead of Viktor. The name sounded really familiar, but he couldn’t pinpoint where he heard it from.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Or maybe Viktor was finally going crazy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>—————</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He is four when he decides that life is cruel and against him forming any happiness. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This second chance, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Viktor thinks, </span>
  <em>
    <span>is some sick joke and more like a curse.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The moment he turned four his parents, more like his father, started getting involved in his life. He forced Viktor to study </span>
  <em>
    <span>and study and study.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He wasn’t allowed to go outside and the only people he interacted with were his tutors who were just as much as a bastard as his father.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Since Viktor had the mind of an adult, he was more advanced than other kids. His father realized this when Viktor was reading, more like attempting to learn the language better, a book for children who were ten. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Viktor understood the book pretty well, but he just wanted to get a better grasp in the language. He wasn’t trying to be spectacular or be considered a genius. It was just his luck that his housekeeper, who he found out was named Hina, found him and reported to his father.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He thinks he preferred it when his parents were neglectful towards him. Although his mother was just as neglectful as before which is something he is thankful for. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Right now, Viktor is sitting at a table learning about math from his tutor. He has his head leaning against the palm of his hand looking like he was listening to his tutor, Eiichi. In reality, he is trying not to fall asleep.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Kageyama-san, subtractions means taking an amount away from a number,” his teacher explained.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He proceeded to show examples which Viktor made sure to ignore. He didn’t think he would have to deal with this until he entered school. He had thought about being forced to go to school and relearning everything, but he thought he had time before it actually happened.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His teacher gave him a worksheet which caused him to break from his thoughts and look down at it. It has subtraction problems and he wants nothing more, but to crumble the paper up into a ball and throw it away. He doesn’t.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He finishes them pretty fast, they are very easy, and gets his teacher’s attention. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Eiichi-sensei, I’m done with it. Can I go outside now?,” he asks. Viktor doesn’t know why he bothers trying because he already knows the answer, but he needs a break from all the study. They have been studying for around four hours already.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Let me take a look,” Eiichi responded and took the paper. He looked satisfied while looking at the answers. “Let’s go onto harder subtraction problems with bigger numbers,” he tells Viktor, completely ignoring his question.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>All Viktor can do is grit his teeth in frustration as his tutor goes on. He thinks he might go insane from all this studying. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Before, he felt nothing for his parents, but now he just detests them. His father forces him to study even though he is a little kid. He sees him as a possession that he can mold into the ideal heir. His mother just ignores him and turns a blind eye to all the abuse he is suffering.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He just wanted to be alone and play volleyball, but now his time is spent studying. The volleyball he got as a gift is in his room under his bed and his hands twitch with the thought of wanting to play with it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He looks at the door longingly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>—————</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It’s around seven o’clock when Viktor is finally allowed to stop studying and his tutors leave. He has a different tutor for different subjects. Right now, he is in his bedroom playing with the volleyball. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hina, his housekeeper, thought he was sleeping. She checked up on him earlier and he pretended to sleep.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He wants to go outside, but his parents think it’s unnecessary. His time should not be wasted on useless things. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>By this point, Viktor is desperate enough to want to go to school, even though he is going to spend it with a whole bunch of bratty kids. He just wants to escape this house and leave, but he can’t because he depends on his parents for shelter and food. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He just wants a break from his housekeeper, who is always distant, his tutors, who are strict and uncaring, and his parents, who are cold and uncaring.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Viktor is at the point, after months of studying everyday for ten hours straight, to just cry and beg his parents to just leave him alone. He doesn’t. He refuses to cry and he refuses to show his parents any weakness.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He stares at the volleyball shaking his head as an attempt to get rid of his thoughts. The volleyball is old and has scratches from all the times he used it. He starts to bounce the ball and practices basic arm touches. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His body is too small and underdeveloped to do anything major. So, Viktor just practices his control over the ball and things that will help with his receives. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Then, when he thinks that it’s time to do something else, he practices receiving by himself. When he thinks that he has practiced enough, he practices setting to himself. He spends practicing this the longest because he is a setter.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In his past life, he was a brilliant setter who was recognized as a genius. He loves volleyball and playing this sport makes him forget about everything that has happened to him. It’s just him and the ball.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>One thing he is grateful for is that volleyball is a universal sport. In a way, it is his only comfort in this life.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>—————</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He is six when he is told from his father that he will be going to an actual school with actual people. Viktor is ecstatic because he gets to leave this house after years of neglect and being forced to study everyday.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>However, he is surprised that he is even allowed to go to school. Here in Japan, there are nursery schools for little kids and he wasn’t allowed to go. His father stated it was a waste of time because they practically learned nothing useful there. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Apparently, going to elementary school is deemed worthy enough for his father to let him go. Viktor just snorts at the thought as he sits in the car that is driving him to school.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The school wasn’t that far from his house and it was a private elementary school that had an excellent educational system.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span> Although Viktor was never allowed to leave the house, and as he got older he was eventually allowed to go outside but only to his backyard, he isn’t that nervous. Maybe it’s because he is an adult with a child’s body.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Or maybe it’s the fact that Viktor doesn’t want to make friends or even attempt to. He just wanted to leave that disgusting house.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His driver stops in front of the school and he leaves the car without even saying goodbye. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He was sitting in his classroom, at a table that had his name on it, and started to feel annoyed at everyone staring at him. They don’t even try to be discreet. He doesn't know why these kids are so fascinated by him though. He doesn’t recall doing anything remarkable to garner any attention.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Gosh,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Viktor thinks, </span>
  <em>
    <span>this is why I hate kids. They can never mind their damn business.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>By the time everyone was here, he was seated at a table with two other kids, both boys. They were both very quiet and seemed to be nervous as well. Actually, Viktor noticed that the whole classroom was quiet and no one was saying anything until a young lady came in.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello everyone,” she smiled warmly as she continued. “My name is Ito-sensei and I am going to be your teacher for the year. Why don’t we introduce ourselves to each other. Say your name and something that you like.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She started with a table in the front, Viktor is now thankful that he is in the very back.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>One by one, each student gave introductions of themselves as he half listened to them. It wasn’t until they got to his table that he paid attention.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The boy who was sitting in front of him with dark brown hair and matching eyes stood up and spoke, “My name is Harada Ichiro and it’s nice to meet you all. I like to play soccer with my big brother. I hope we can all be friends.” He gave the classroom a friendly smile as he sat down.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He seemed too friendly,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Viktor thought as he looked away.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The boy who sat next to him had black hair and brown eyes and stood up as well and introduced himself with less enthusiasm, “It’s nice to meet you all. My name is Arai Izumi. I like to draw with my dad.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Viktor noted that he was very shy compared to the other kids. Viktor almost groaned when he realized it was his turn to introduce himself.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He stood up as well and introduced himself with a cold tone, “My name is Kageyama Tobio and I like to play volleyball.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone seemed intimidated by him. He didn’t care though because he  doesn’t need friends.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>—————</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Elementary school was something the Viktor actually enjoyed. It helped him stay away from home and get a break from studying. Unfortunately, even though he goes to school now, his father still forced him to study and have tutors.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>School, though, was a place where he didn’t pay attention in class, he already knows everything they’re teaching anyway, and gets to play volleyball in his free time. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He plays by himself and is generally left alone. He doesn’t care though because kids are annoying.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>At first, the boy sitting in front of him, Ichiro, would always talk to him and the other boy, Izumi. Viktor just ignored him and continued to either finish the worksheet the teacher gave to them or doodle in his notebook.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Over time, Ichiro started talking less and less to him until he eventually stopped. Now, no one in class talks to him and he sometimes hears other kids talking about him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It seems that his classmates dubbed him to be the “rich kid” who thinks that he is above everyone else. This actually makes Viktor laugh in amusement because it is so dumb. It seems that he is the only one that is actually dropped off and picked up from school in a fancy car.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Viktor just ignores them. He has gotten better at volleyball and was allowed to use the gym to practice. It was fun and he enjoyed hitting the ball against the wall and practicing setting by himself. He even got to practice his serves.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In his old life, Viktor prided himself in two things. His serves and abilities as a setter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>—————</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He is twelve when he convinces his parents to let him join the volleyball club when he enters junior high. Viktor said some nonsense about how it looks good on college applications if he is committed to something. He is honestly surprised that his father even listened to what he said, but if he got what he wanted, he could care less.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His father sent him to this prestigious school which was hard to get into unless you had excellent grades during elementary school. His new school is called Shiratorizawa Academy Junior High.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Today was his first day of school and it went by as usual. He was forced to introduce himself in front of the class and say which club he is joining. He ignored the classes because they were so boring and he was by himself most of the day.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>School was over very quickly and Viktor finally made his way to the volleyball club. For the first time since he was born, Viktor was excited and happy that he would finally be able to play in an actual court.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His fingers were shaking with excitement at the thought of finally being able to play volleyball again.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Viktor will start to introduce himself as Kageyama Tobio in the next chapter. This chapter is just trying to convey that he is still in denial and refuses to accept his new name. He is still hurting from what happened to him and he will not be getting over it any time soon. He just chooses to ignore it, but he doesn't do a very job. He isolates himself as a way to prevent from getting hurt again. <br/>Kageyama's parents are rich, but abusive and neglectful, especially his father who wants to create the perfect heir. That is why he went to Shiratorizawa Junior High, which is a better school, instead of Kitagawa Daiichi.<br/>He will also not know he was reborn into Haikyuu until he is in high school.<br/>Thank you for reading! If you have any suggestions or opinions please comment.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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